Venice, May 22-25th

Registration

You can quickly and easily secure your spot via credit card or paypal here on the website. This is the easiest way for me to take sign ups. Please double check the spelling of your email at checkout, as it will be how I will be in touch ahead of the workshop.

However, if you would like to register with a 50% deposit rather than the full tuition, please get in touch via email. 

Dates:

May 22-25, Thursday - Sunday, Rain Date Monday, 26th

Location:

We will be painting in several scenic locations in Venice, Italy. Many of these locations will be recognizable from the likes of John Singer Sargent, such as the Salute or along the Grand Canal. Other locations that that are are likely are some of the quiet canals of Cannaregio or Campo San Giovanni e Paolo

Focus

Being in Venice this workshop will be geared towards cityscape painting, but we will also touch on some of the characteristics of water. Being the city on water, I find that the moisture in the atmosphere coupled with classical architecture make it a magical setting. 

The workshop will start with an introduction to understanding how we really improve at painting, and the mental framework needed to push our paintings to the next level and continue growing as artists, even when we are on our own.

Throughout the workshop, we will focus on topics such as: 

Composition - ideas about balance, rhythm, variety, and masses. How we can find interesting compositions within a sea of detail. 

Drawing - Comparative measurement, sight size, finding alignments, and seeing shapes, whether positive or negative, animal, or puzzle piecing across out paintings.

Perspective - Understanding how to efficiently balance painting what you know versus what you see, whether painting a long canal or a small feature of the Salute.

Color and Value - Finding several ways to observe the color and value of the subject in front of us. Breaking down color theory into simple, manageable decisions. Understanding the choices we can make in the key of our painting to push or restrain our color, and how the way we see the world stems from the way we think about the world.

Plein air considerations - tactics for setting up and dealing with the changing light effect outside

Optics - after having an observational foundation, we are able to deepen our search by scientifically understanding the world around us, and studying the behavior of light with regard to diffraction, refraction, and scattering of the light. Atmospheric Perspective.

Water - understanding where the color of water comes from, and how water behaves with it’s ripples and reflections.

Surface - hopefully by the end, we will have a solid footing to talk about some of the finer qualities of painting by embracing different textures, surfaces, and mark making.

When we are learning to paint, we are learning to see. My general process, whether in my larger art journey or within any individual painting, is to break away from our naive preconceptions of what we see, to be able to objectively study what is in front of us, before we can finally feel and express what it is that we find beautiful. My goal is that this workshop will expand your ability of perception and deepen your understanding of the visual language and art of painting en plein air.

Supplies

Click here for a full breakdown of my supplies. I would like to stress that it is always important to have a secure set up that is wind resistant, and a way to transport your wet paintings back home.

Duration and Schedule

This workshop runs for four days.

Each morning starts with a demo from 9 – 12pm. These range from follow along demo’s - where I keep everyone in lock step and following my exact process to more traditional lecture or observational demos where I explain critical ideas and theories in plein air painting.

We break for lunch from 12-1pm.

From 1-4pm there is time for individual painting, where we break off and try our own hand at the lessons of the day. I circle around from each student, offering personal advice and suggestions.

I find in practice the most you can work on a plein air painting outdoors is 2-3 hours at a time before the light changes too much. After 4pm, I like to bring everyone for a final half hour to  go over the main lessons of the day. 

Class Size:

Class is limited to 12. After years of teaching, this is my ideal class size for workshops that guarantees everyone gets enough one on one feedback while having an engaging class.

Rain Plan:

Depending on the day of the week, there are three possible locations that can work for a rain date. However, please be open to staying one day longer in venice. If we don’t need to use it, it can serve as a great day to explore what the city has to offer, or to join me for a non instructional painting day.

Accommodation and Travel:

Lodging is handled separately from workshop registration. If possible, I would recommend staying in the center of Venice. It is a very small city, and most locations are walkable. More affordable accommodation can be found on the mainland in Mestre. I would advise against staying in Murano.

Venice has two major airports nearby and is otherwise well connected with trains.

Refund Policy:

There is a 72 hours no questions asked refund phase. Hopefully this allows some time to settle accommodation while securing a spot. Beyond that, any requests for a refund shall take into account how long there is left until the workshop, whether it was full at the time of cancellation, and whether I am able to fill the spot. 

I do my best to be understanding, but if you are unsure whether you will be able to attend, I would encourage you to hold off on signing up for the workshop or ask for a preemptive waitlist, rather than signing up just in case.

For any further questions, please contact here.